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Make Martin Luther King Jr. Day. a day 'on,' not a day 'off'

January 12, 2016

Make Martin Luther King Jr. Day. a day 'on,' not a day 'off'

Penn State Greater Allegheny will host students from six other Penn State campuses for a day of volunteer service to be held on Monday, Jan. 18 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day. More than 90 students are expected to participate.

Instead of having the day off, the student volunteers will come to Penn State Greater Allegheny to kick off the event, which is called, “Not a Day Off, But a Day On.” The keynote speaker, Instructor in History Johnathan White, will inspire the volunteers before they head out to the volunteer sites.

Students will be volunteering to help the community and could be doing anything from cleaning, organizing, or working with the elderly or children. Sites that will benefit from volunteers this year include: Braddock Day Care, McKeesport Little Theatre, Auberle, The Palms Assisted Living Home, Braddock Library, Braddock Free Store, White Oak Borough, and White Oak Park.

“It’s so important for college students to get out into the community, to see that they can make a difference every day,” said Erin O’Malley, associate director of Student Affairs. “Through volunteering, students can foster relationships with those in the communities around them, gain new skills and experiences, and feel a great sense of accomplishment.”

The event is a tradition that began eight years ago, in an effort to use Penn State Pride to give back to the community. Students wanted to make a big difference in their local communities in a short period of time. Each year, a different campus hosts the event, including Beaver, Altoona, Behrend, DuBois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, and New Kensington.